One premier recruit who won't be participating in the great rush of early commitments is Fork Union (Va.) Military running back and linebacker Marcus Dowtin. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder and his parents plan to take a more meticulous and methodical approach to recruiting, and they are in no hurry to come to a final decision.

Dowtin already has a nice array of written offers to choose from among Nebraska, Maryland, West Virginia, Clemson, Syracuse, Michigan and most recently Virginia Tech.